Montale
Montale
191 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
A sharp, crystalline burst of seawater and algae announces itself with almost aggressive freshness, the saltiness genuinely mineral and slightly iodine-tinged. Within minutes, juniper berry cuts through like a botanical knife, adding a dry, peppery edge that prevents the aquatic from feeling watery.
The spices unfurl gradually, bringing cardamom and subtle pepper warmth that plays beautifully against the lingering saline-green base. Here the fragrance reveals its true character—neither purely fresh nor purely warm, but a sophisticated oscillation between both, with oakmoss beginning its slow emergence from beneath.
Sandalwood and oakmoss claim dominance, creating a woody, slightly herbaceous base that retains phantom traces of juniper and that briny opening. The drydown feels mineral and austere rather than creamy, fading gradually into soft oakmoss and skin-musk warmth.
Montale's Sandflowers arrives as a bracing collision between mineral seawater and terrestrial spice—a fragrance that refuses easy categorisation. The aquatic accord dominates with genuine seawater freshness, that slightly salty, slightly briny quality that feels plucked from a windswept coastline rather than synthesised in a lab. Yet this isn't a clean, soapy aquatic; the algae note introduces a subtle green funkiness, a hint of kelp-bed earthiness that complicates the opening's initial crispness.
What makes Sandflowers compelling is how the heart pivots toward warmth without abandoning its aquatic DNA. Juniper berry weaves through with a peppery, almost gin-like brightness, whilst the spice accord (88% of the composition) adds a gentle heat—think cardamom's subtle warmth rather than cinnamon's aggression. These notes layer atop the aquatic base, creating an unexpected juxtaposition: the fragrance smells simultaneously like standing on a rocky beach and sitting by a spiced tea. It's neither freshie nor warm spice, but a compelling negotiation between both.
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3.1/5 (115)